Abstract [en]

Background:

One of healthcare's biggest challenges today is to deliver safe care as a progressive development. The more complex healthcare care is performed, more risks for patient safety follow. In line with development, higher demands are placed on the nurse's effectiveness, clinical and practical knowledge, medical technology, nursing and patient safety. Nursing's work environment in relation to patient safety is therefore important to highlight.

Aim:

To study, through a literature review, the relationship between the working environment and patient safety.

Method:

literature review. Scientific articles have been searched in the CINAHL and PubMed databases. The result was based on 12 scientific studies, four qualitative studies and eight quantitative studies.

Result:

The result generated in four main areas: Integrated work for improved work environment and patient safety: The quality of the nurse's work environment and patient safety has a connection, lack of working environment resulted in insufficient patient safety. Workload and patient safety: Too high patient number per nurse led to increased workload which endangered patient safety. Work-related stress did not contribute to good and safe nursing when the nurses' ability to perform patient-safe nursing was impaired. Deviation reporting and patient safety: Inadequate reporting of discrepancies correlated with the quality of the work environment, most studies showed that the under reporting was due to lack of time and that the abnormalities could be held against the nurses. Collegial support and patient safety: Good relations across professional boundaries and structured tutoring generated in an improved work environment and increased patient safety.

Conclusion:

The literature review confirms that there is a correlation between work environment and patient safety, improved work environment, increased cost-effectiveness and increased quality of care and reduced number of healthcare injuries.